Traction-wheel.



A. S. FRASER.

TRACTION WHEEL.

APPLICATION HLED 05024, m5.

1 ,1 90,536. Patented July 11, 1916.

wheels are comrnonlyprovided with various.

STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDER S. FRASER, OF CAIRO, ILLINOIS.

TRACTION-WHEEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July11, 1916.

Application filed December 24, 1915. Serial No. 68,473.

same, referenceb i had to t accompany."

ing drawings, forming part'of this application. v This invention relates broadly to tractors, orself-propelled power yehicles, and

pertains specifically to vehiclesv of this nature designed articularly for farm work.

',More speci cally the invention pertains to certain improvements in a driving wheel for tractors. g

It is, the principal object of my invention to provide a form of traction wheel which can be employed effectively on li ht tractors and permittheir being used e ciently in tractive' farm work, such as plowing, raking, a d pulling loads. v

tractors now employed in farm work, the tractive power is largely dependent upon the weight "of the machine, which '-is depended upon to give the requisite amount of adhesion. Of course, the tires of the road irregularities to increase the adhesion, but the tractive efliciency of the machine is more particularly dependent upon its weight. Heavy tractors are undesirable in farm work for many reasons, both because of the large amount of power required to move the device itself, and on account of the effect of the heavy machine on the soil over which it is run. I

It is the purpose of my resent invention to increase the tractive' e ciency of light tractors by providing a form of road or driving wheel which will greatly increase the tractive adhesion without requiring a commensurate increase in power. To thls purpose I provide the driving wheel w th extensible and retractile earth engaging members and an improved arrangement for operating them. I am aware that the provision of extensible and retractile earth engaging members is not in itseli novel 1n traction wheels, as I know of various forms thereof and various arrangements for actuating them. In the operation of such of these former devices .as I have observed, however, the earth engaging members have been sub ect to binding in their mountings due to deflection of the operating members out of the line of thrust. .By the improved construction herein claimed, I not only obviate this difliculty, but provide a wheel of great strength, light weight, and simple operation. I

In the accompanying drawings wherein one embodiment of my invention is illustratedFigure 1 represents a side view of my improved traction wheel; Fig. 2 a transverse section on a diameter thereof; Fig. 3 a longitudinal section substantially on line 33 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 a detail illustrating an earth engaging member; Fig. 5 a detail illustrating one of the hangers for the earth engaging members.

Byreference to the drawings in detail, it will be understood that 1 represents an axle which is normally stationary,xbeing suitably mounted on the frame of the machine. Upon this axle are journaled the similar wheel portions 2 each having a hub portion 4 and a rim or tread 5 supported from the hub by spokes 6. The rims have in-turned marginal flanges which are abutted and connected by bolts or rivets 8. At intervals about its periphery, the rim portion is provided with tranverse .slots 9 cut through both the tread and the conjoined flanges 7 and terminating between the spokes 6 of the wheel portions. Operably mounted in each of these slots is an earth engaging member 10 in the nature of a relatively thin and wide plate, the opposite sides ofwhich are engaged by the walls of the slot 9. The mounting is such that these earth engaging members may be moved outwardly and inwardly on radii of the wheel. Keyed on the axle 1 intermediate the hub portions 4, is an eccentric 11, and mounted on this eccentric is a thrust wheel comprising the hub portion 12, rim 14, and connecting spokes 15. The mounting of this thrust wheel is such that it is revoluble on the eccentric 11 intermediate the spokes 6 and hubs 4, and conse- 'quently, the thrust wheel will bear an cecentric relationship to the wheel portions 2. 105

will rest upon the flanges 7. The earth en- 110 I hangers. 16.

gaging members are operably engaged with the rim of the thrust whoelby' means of is adapted to be secured-to one side of an earth engagiiig member. as bv means: of the v s i v bolt 1.. and the other arm of wh ch spaeed apart fronrthe inner cdgc of the .earth engaging member and extends in- *tive to the earth engaging members. I

wa'rdly thereof to frccl -engage the inner face of the rim li o'f the-thrust wheel. The

inner edge of the earth engaging member is thereb vheld in movable engagement with the outer face of the rim-14c of-thethrust.

wheel. The engagement between the thrust wheel and the earthcngagmgmembers as thus supported thereon ,is such as to permit rotative movementof thethrust wheel. rela- To fa cilitate this. the inner edges of the transverse flange of the hangers may be beveled or roundedott as illustrated in Fig.6.

Suitable transmission means is provided for driving the wheelethat illustrated being in the form of a transmission sha ft 18 carr v ing a worm :19 which cohperates with aengagement -with;the earth engaging mem 'bers 1'0. willcaus'e the latter to be projected andretracted through the slots 9 to an extent equal to the thrust of the eccentric. .-.\s the earth engaging mctnlwrs will be projected to the maximum extent on the radius of the maximum thrnst of the-eccentric. the point at which they will be at maximum projected or retracted position may be deterinined-by the position of the eccentric. Ofcourse. when'in tractive use. such as plowing. the eccentric-will be placed in the positionillustrated in Fig. 1. wherein the earth engaging members are projected as they reach the ground, so that they may c ngagethe soil and thereby increase the tractive adhesion. "V1181!" it is desired'to run the'machineoier hard pavement or smooth ground and no great tractive power is required, the eccentric niav be adjusted to the position illustratedin Fig.3 by adjustably rotating theaxle 1. which may be accom plis'hedv by any-suitable mechanism such .as

the; worm 21 and worm pinion '22. \Yith the eccentric in this position. the earth en- 'gaging members will he in their innermost position as they reach the ground. leaving the tread of the wheel smooth. In order to clear the wheel of any earth adhering to the tread, a scraper 2i may be provided to cooperate with the tread, said scraper being movable away from the. tread to permit passage'o'f the earth engaging members when the adjustment of the eccentricis'such that they are'projeet'ed at that point.

7 Zach of these hangers is in the form of an angle member, one arm of wlnclr driyewheel. tiornl avoid anybinding efl'ect between the.

virtue of the construction constituting I my invention, it will beobserved that-the actuating member throughwhich the thrust istransml'ttetl from the eccentric tothe earth enga gmg members 'isabsolutely free for ro- -ta';ting movement relatiye to both the eccentrio and the earth-engaging members. Fur

but short leverage betweenltheirim of the the'rmore, the' 'th-rust transmitting member" engages the earth engaging members so close tot-he rim o'rtr'ead'of thewheel tha'tthere'is thrust wheel and are bearing. point of. the

earth engagin member upon-the rim of the' I n'se'quently, by myconstrucs.

earth engaging member-sand the walls of the slots in which they operate, duefto relative deflection of'the earth engaging members and their actuating portions-outof the line of thrust. Eurthern'iore. the construction provides a wheel very strong 'for its weight,

the thrust wlieel,:due'to'its" contact with the flanges 1, load as well as actuate the eartlrengaging. members. Furthermore, a wheel of my imroved construction 1na5'-' 'beremlil v repaired, as: it is a comparativelysimple matter to remove and replace the earth engaging ele-.

ments when theybeco'me moving bolts '17. V t I I a m aware that various changes and motlitications not herein i'l'lustrated'and described ma y be made; in' the device w ithout departing from the scope of=rny invention which is indicated in" the following claims.

worn, by simply re operating to carry some of the 1. AstiaCt ldil' wheel including'a rotatable drive wheel. a guiding member 'd-isposed eccentrically of the axis of-said wheel and nor mally held against rotation thcrc\ \'ith radially movable earth engag ng t.ltl11tlltS CllS- posed peripherally of-the wheel. and a freely 'movable thrust iuember operably alSSOClutQOl with the eccentric guiding member and earth engaging elements-tor projecting and retracting the latter.

2. A traction wheelincludinga rotatable drive wheel. an axle on which'the wheel rotates, a guiding member disposed 'cccentricallvon the axle, means forad ustmgsud guiding member to different positions. earth engaging elements mounted on thc'whcel and mo a le beyond the tread. therdof. and a thrust member operably connecting the guiding member and the earth engaging elements, which thrust member is rotatable rcla'tive to the wheel.

'3. A traction wheel including a rotatable drive wheel. aniextensiblc and rctrariilc earth engaging member disposed peripherally thereof; guiding means normally held.

against rotation with the wheel. and a thrust member col pcrat ng 'lth said l means and earth cn :agin mcmbcr to pro joct and rctract'thc latter, said thrust mcnr her being arranged forrevoluble movement relative to both the guiding means and the earth engaging member,

4. A traction wheel including a rotatable drive wheel, an eccentric associated therewith and normally held against rotation, a thrust wheel mounted on said eccentric for rotation relative to the drive wheel, and extensible earth engaging members disposed peripherally of the drive wheel and movably engaging the thrust wheel at intervals about its circumference.

5. A traction wheel including a drive wheel, extensible earth engaging members disposed peripherally thereof, a thrust wheel rotatable relative to the drive wheel and having peripheral engagement with the earth engaging members for projecting and retracting them, and means for guiding said thrust wheel for rotation eccentrically of the drive wheel.

6. A traction wheel including a drive wheel, movable earth engaging members peripherally disposed thereon, a thrust wheel disposed within the circumference of the drive wheel and journaled eccentrically thereof so as to tangentially engage the rim thereof, said thrust wheel being operably associated with the earth engaging members and revolu le relative to the drive wheel, and means for axially supporting the drive wheel and the thrust wheel.

7. A traction wheel including a rotatable drive wheel having a slotted rim, earth engaging elements movably mounted in the slots of the rim, a thrust member revoluble relative to the erable association with the different earth engaging elements at intervals about its circumference adjacent the rim of the drive wheel, and means for guiding said thrust member eccentrically of the drive wheel.

8. In a traction wheel, the combination of an earth engaging rim, said rim being provided with peripheral apertures, earth engaging elements supported on the rim and extensible through said apertures, a thrust member mounted for rotation with therim and relative to said earth engaging elements, and removable members forming a loose connection between said earth engaging members and said thrust member for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses, this 11th day of December, 1915.

ALEXANDER S. FRASER.

Witnesses:

EVA 0. RICHMOND, NETTIE V. HIRFS,

drive wheel and having op-- 

